159 – Marni Aoyama, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan

Fashionable design

Sybarite architects complete the Marni store in Tokyo

The design marks a new generation of Marni store designs and a direct shift in emphasis on product with the ever increasing collection of accessories. Like a modern temple this boutique plays with texture and light on a large sale with the use of hard materials for the walls and floor such as concrete and stone. Interlaced and scattered within the polished floor areas are a series of random stone and marble colours that play an important role to define various areas of the store.
The shuttered concrete walls are injected with a series of bespoke display case of varying finishes (leather, plastic, fibreglass) for the display of shoes, lingerie, bags and accessories. These units have their own integral lighting and serve as a rich contrast with the concrete floor and walls. Certain areas of the walls are covered with brightly coloured high gloss fabric upholstery to create varying themes throughout the shop.
The fluid stainless steel rails carry the ready-to-wear collections and glide up the grand concrete staircase to a curvaceous and separate shoe display room. A large stainless steel cloud hovers over this space and provides the lighting for the elliptical shoe display cases upholstered in Marni’s own leather. This area is carpeted with a large circular rug where a unique rotating circular display sits with perimeter leather pod seating.
The fitting rooms have their own personal stainless steel rails and leather rugs on the floor.
Upstairs one encounters a line of floating mannequins where the clothes shimmer and move with the use of fan units below them. Along the windows towards the front a long stainless steel rail continues the display of the ready-to-wear collection and opposite houses a display wall of many randomly placed cases for the display of jewellery and smaller accessories.
The play of daylight and stone materials within this shop together with signature bespoke furniture pieces give this new Marni store a truly new adventure that should not be missed.